{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-visits-bosque-del-apache-discuss-funding-staffing-and-his-push", "Rep. Vasquez Visits Bosque del Apache to Discuss Funding, Staffing, and His Push to Protect Public Lands", "2025-12-06", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "House", "NM", "Gabe Vasquez", "V000136", "vasquez.house.gov", "vasquez", "https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "San Antonio, N.M. \u2013 On December 6, 2025, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (NM-02) visited the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge to meet with refuge staff, local partners, and members of the Friends of the Bosque to assess the impacts of chronic understaffing, federal budget cuts, and the recent government shutdown on one of New Mexico\u2019s most important pieces of public land.\n\nDuring the visit, Rep. Vasquez toured the refuge\u2019s North Loop, received a briefing from Deputy Refuge Manager Bernard Lujan and refuge staff, and met with leadership from the Friends of the Bosque. The group discussed the refuge\u2019s growing operational challenges \u2014 including a decade-long staffing decline that has left just 10 employees to manage more than 57,000 acres \u2014 as well as drought pressures, reduced food production for migratory birds, and continued budget shortfalls following cuts that reduced the refuge\u2019s funding from $2 million to $1.4 million.\n\n\u201cBosque del Apache is a place unlike any other in southern New Mexico \u2014 it\u2019s a haven for migrating waterfowl and a huge economic engine for Socorro and its neighboring communities. That\u2019s why I\u2019m deeply concerned by recent cuts to the Wildlife Refuge system which have put an enormous strain on the staff who manage these places for the public,\u201d said Vasquez. \u201cOur public land agencies must be well-staffed and well-managed for the benefit of rural economies and all Americans. Once we lose these places, and the integrity of their management, we can\u2019t get them back. We must protect our public lands at all costs.\u201d\n\nRep. Vasquez also highlighted the consequences of the cancellation of the annual Festival of the Cranes, a major cultural and economic event that typically brings $2 to $3 million in revenue to Socorro County and contributes to the refuge\u2019s broader $15.8 to $17 million annual economic impact.\n\nRep. Vasquez underscored recent efforts he has led in Congress, including founding the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus earlier this year and preventing a predatory attempt to sell off millions of acres of public lands as part of the Republican reconciliation bill. The Congressman also serves as Co-Chair of the Wildlife Refuge Caucus and is working to bolster staffing and funding across the National Wildlife Refuge System. Earlier this year, he also introduced legislation designating National Wildlife Refuge Week and the Arctic Refuge Protection Act to safeguard critical habitat nationwide.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://vasquez.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-vasquez-visits-bosque-del-apache-discuss-funding-staffing-and-his-push"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8622980676591396, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}